For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “hay” will be used in a generic sense to describe cut foliage, particularly hay, such as that made from alfalfa, grasses and straw. While this invention is ideally used to handle “hay bales,” said generic term is intended to include any large item, including but not limited to “cargo” in general, bales of cotton, bales of cardboard, etc.
In the United States, the baling of hay is typically done in a number of differed sizes, formats and orientations. There are two standard “field bale” sizes: 18″×36-48″×14″ or 16″×18″-(46-52) (often referred to as a “2-string bale”) and 24″×46-48″×15-16″ (often referred to as a “3-string bale”). Other types of hay bales that are common within agriculture include large round bales, 3′×3′ “mid-size” bales, 3′×4′ “mid-size” bales, and 4′×4′ “ton-sized” bales. While these are the most common types/sizes of hay bales, other hay bale sizes do and/or may exist in the future.
Various types of devices are known which are utilized for picking up and handling bales of hay. However, what is needed is a device that can reliably handle both larger sized bales as well as the smaller field sized bales. Embodiments of the present invention solve this need.